Ironing machine



y 1936- s. A. DOUGLAS 2,047,997

IRONING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1935 S. A. DOUGLAS July 21,1936.

' IRONING MACHINE Filed March 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 si Q INVENTOR. juu/4: M

ATTORNEY Patcnted July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES aman mome. mom

Samuel Arthur Doul. Union, N. Y.. assignor to Nineteen Hnndred Corporation, Binghamton, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 15, 1935, Serial No. 11,213

10 Clainu. (Ci. 74-42) This invention relates to ironing machines and more particularly to the domestic type in which a padded roll and a heated shoe are moved relatively to each other to carry them into and out of pressing engagement. As these machines are ordinarily constructed the 'roll is provided with a stationary axis while the shoe is rocked or otherwise shifted toward or away from the roll. Provision is usually made for rocking a shoe supporting or controlling shaft or otherwise Operating a shoe shifting member by power derived from the same source that drives the roller. For this purpose a clutch is provided in the train of mechanism from the power source to the shoe shiiting member and this clutch is generally arranged to be engaged under manual control and disengaged automatically upon completion of half or other portion of a cycle. In this way the clutch is thrown out whenever the shoe reaches either extreme of its movement toward and from the roll.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of a simple, inexpensive and effective mechanism for rocking the shoe supporting or control- 2 ling shaft of a machine of the character mentioned, upon each partial operation ot a member driven by the clutch. This mechanism includes a plurality of gears and a rocking !rame surrounding the gears, the arrangement being such that the rotation of the gears imparts an oscillatory movement to an arm connected with the shoe controlling shaft. It will be appreciated that this novel mechanism may be capable of other uses but it is particularly well suited for the special service indicated..

An illustratve form of the invention will now be described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 isa vertical, sectional view through a portion of an ironing machine disclosing the novel shoe Operating connections partly in section and partly in side elevation.

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail in horizontal section along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a detail in vertical section, on a reduced scale, along the line 4-4 of Flgure 2.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a portion of a frame o of a domestic type of ironing machine. It will be understood that this frame is suitabiy supported on or forms a part of a table and serves to support and house the various operative devices of the machine. Ex-

tending from one side oi-the frame is a padded roller ll secured to a shalt |2 and adapted to be rotated in a manner to be explained. Adiacent the roller there is mounted a shoe ll carried by a pair ot links !4 and !5 supported by an arm s. The arm s may be secured directly to a shaft l'l 5 or may be pivotally mounted upon the !rame in any suitable way and arranged to be rocked by appropriate connections from the shatt l'l.

A worm s, suitably mounted in the !rame IO. is connected in any convenient way with a source 10 of power, such as an electric motor, not shown. When the machine is in operation, the worm IB will be continuously rotated and serves to drive a worm-wheel s. The latter is secured to a sleeve 20 (Fig. 4) rotatable freely upon a supporting 15 shaft 2l. Also secured to the sleeve 20 is a broad pinion 22 which meshes with a gear 23 loose upon the shait l2. A clutch member 24 keyed to the shaft, but slidable thereon, is arranged to be engaged with or disen'gaged from teeth on the 20 wheel 23 and thereby controls the rotation of the shaft l2.

At the inner or righthand end (Flg. 2) of the sleeve 20 there is secured a toothed clutch disc or starwheel 25. This disc is continuously rotated a. so long as the worm |8 is driven. Loose upon the shaft 2| is a clutch unit 26, preferably formed as a casting with portions extending into the plane of the disc 25 and arranged to support a pivoted clutch pawl 21. A spring-pressed plunger :m or pin 28 engaging the tail of the pawl tends to urge a clutch tooth on the pawl into one of the grooves or recesses in the disc 25. However, normally the pawl 21 is held in the idle position shown in Fig. 4 by means of a control yoke or member 29 pivoted at 30 upon a bracket secured to the main frame. The yoke 29 is provided with two branches, as best shown in Fig. 4, disposed at diametrically opposite sides of the clutch. A flnger 3| on each branch is arranged to engage the forward end of the pawl 21 as the latter is rotated by the disc 25 and thereby withdraws the tooth of the pawl from the notch with which it is engaged. As will be understood. suitable means, such as a manually operable lever, is provided for rocking the yoke 29 about its pivot 30 whenever it is desired to release the pawl 21. Means of this character are well known in the art and therefore need not be-illust'ated. When the pawl engages its tooth with one of the notches in the disc 25, the unit 26 will be rotated until' the end of the pawl engages the opposite branch of the yoke 29 which, in the meantime, will have been restored to its normal position. In this 5:,

2 e way the unit 24 will be moved through about hall' a turn upon each operation of the yoke '23.

'ticularly gear 32.

integral with or otherwise secured to the member is a gear 32. Around this gear is mounted a member 33 .having an opening 34 the wall of which is adapted to rather snugly surround the teeth oi' the gear 32. A'similar opening 36 beneath the opening 34, and forming a figure 8 with the latter, snugly receives a gear 36. The member 33 is preferably split adjacent the top and ateach side o! the split is provided with a projection 31. A- bolt 33, passed through suitable openings in the projections 31, is surrounded by a spring 33 which, acting between a nut at the end ot the bolt and one of the projections 31, serves to yieldably force the projections together. In this way a snug fit between the wall of the openings 34 and 35 and the gears 32 and 36 is insured evenafter a considerable amount ot wear of the parts. Furthermore, a desirable i'riction is cre- 'atedbetween the member 33 and the gears, par- This eliminates the noise and rattling which would otherwise occur due to backlash as the pressure of the shoe against the roller is released.

An opening 40 in the gear 36 is adapted to receive a crank pin 4| carried by an arm 42 splined or otherwise secured to the shaft l 1. A downwardly extending lug 43 integral with the member 33 receives one end of a spring 44, the opposite end of which is attached to a pin 45 carried by the arm 42. The spring 44 serves to take up any play which might be present in the parts and insures rocking of the member 33 as far as possible in a counterclockwise direction (Fig. 1) at all times.

It is believed that the operation of the mechanism will be apparent from the Ioregoing. Briefly, when the machine is set into operation, by 'operation of a switch orthe like, the worm 13 and the unit composed of worm wheel !9, broad pinion 22 and clutch disc 25 will be continuously rotated. Assuming that the shoe is against the rroller, as indicated in Fig. 1, and it is desired to shift the shoe away from the roller, the yoke 23 will be 'operated in the manner explained to permit the pawl 21 to become engaged with the disc 25. This will cause the gear 32 to be rotated through a half turn or until the pawl 21 is thrown out of engagement by the opposite side of the yoke. As 'the gear 32 rotates, the gear 36 will likewise be rotated and the crank pin 4l will be carried rrom 'the position shown in Figure 1 to a position above the center of the gear, diametrically opposite the position shown. In the rotation oi the gear 3& the casing 33 will be rocked about the center of the shaft 2l and, as will be clear, the arm 42 is also rocked upwardly from the position shown; This rocking of the arm 42 produces the desired movement of the shoe l3 away from the roll.

Upon the next operation of the yoke 23 the gears 32 and 36 will be rotated through another halt cycle and the crank pin 4| will be restored to the position shown.

whenever the shoe is against the roller the latter will be rotated through the engagement of the clutch 24 with the teeth on the gear 23. However, when the shoe is moved away from the roller, a cam 46 on the unit 26 will engage a projection 41 on a yoke 48 and cause the clutch 24 to be shifted toward the right (Fig. 2) to disengage its teeth from the gear 23. II desired manual means may also be provided'tor shitting the clutch 24 held stationary. This is desirable tor the simple pressing ot small articles.

' While an illustrative embodiment o! the invention has been disclosed in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be 5 made without departing !rom the general prin- .ciples and scope oi' the invention. Furthermore, the mechanism provided tor' converting the rotary movement of the clutch unit 26 to a rocking movement or the shalt l'l may be employed tor purposes other than that illustrated.

I claim: V

1. In a machine of the class described a shaft having a fixed axis, a gear mounted on said shalt, means for rotating said gear, a second gear 15 meshed with said first mentioned gear, a member pivotally mounted about said shaft and providing an axis oi rotation for said second gear,

a crank pin carried by said second gear, and an arm connected with said pin and adapted to be 20 rocked about a fixed axis.

2. In a machine of the class described a shatt having a fixed axis, a gear mounted on said shatt, means for rotating said gear, a second gear meshed with said first mentioned gear, a'member 25 snugly surrounding said gears and providing a swinging axis for the second gear, means eccentrically carried by said second gear, and an arm mounted about a fixed axis and arranged to be l operated'by said last mentioned means.

3. In a machine of the class described a pair of intermeshing gears, one of said gears being rotatable about a fixed axis, a member rockable. about said axis and providing a shiftable axis for the other of said gear a crank pin carried by said other of said gears, means for rotating said gears, a shaft and connections from said crank Dil; flor rocking said shaft.

n a machine o! the class described of intermeshing gears, one of said gears bi rotatable about a fixed axis, a member rockable about said axis and providing a shiitable axis for the other of said gears, spring means tending to bias said member in one direction, a crank pin carried by said other oi' said gears, means for rotatmg 'said gears, a shart and connections from saisd &rank pin hr rocking said shaft.

0 n a mac e of the class described intermeshing gears, one of said gears b r tatable about a fixed axis, a member snugly surroundng said gears and having a hearing upon the ends of the teeth 'thereof, a shaft rockable about a fixed axis, an arm secured to said shaft and eccentric means carried by the other of said gears for engaging and rocking said arm.

6. In a machine of the class described a pair of intermeshing gears, one of said gears being rotatable about a fixed axis, a member snugly su rounding said gears and having a bea the ends of the teeth thereof, means for a o ically adjusting said member to ofset wear a shaft rockable about a fixed axis, an arm secured to sad shalt, and eccentric means carried by the other of said gears for engaging and rocking said arm.

8. In a machine of the class described a pair oi' intermeshing gears, one only oi said gears having a fixed axis and the other a shiiting axis, a member surrounding said gears and presenting a wall in the form o! a figure 8 in engagement with the teeth of said gears, a shalt having a fixed axis, and means connected with the gear having a shifting axis !or rocking said shaft.

9. In a machine of the class described a rock shaft having a fixed axis, an assembly including a pair oi intermeshing gear-s, one having a fixed axis and the other a shining nxis; said assembly including also a member rockable about said fixed axis providing the shiiting axis ior the other gear,

' said other gear being constrained to cause its azis to shi'tt and said member to rock, means !or driving said gears, and connections from a movabie portion ot said assembly to said rock shatt !or rocking the latter upon rotation ot said gears.

10. In a machine of the class described a rock shalt, a, rotary drive shatt, and connections !rom said drive shait to said rock shait tor operating the letter comprising an assembly including a pair of intermeshing gears. and including also means providing a fixed axis tor one gear and a swinging axis tor the other gear, connections !rom said drive shatt !or rotating said gears, said other gear being constrained to cause its axis to swing when so driven, and means connectlng a movable portion ot said assembly with said rock shait to rock the letter.

- BAMUEL ARTHUR DOUGLAS. 

